Arms outstretched, beaming into the warm acclaim of the North Bank, Danny Welbeck soaked up the joy of his hat-trick. It is still too early to say whether Arsenal will prove to be the perfect finishing school for Welbeck, but on a night when he looked absolutely at home leading the line with coltish enthusiasm mixed with a cocksure eye for goal, the old question mark about whether he could learn to take enough of his chances faded a little more.
There has been an undertone of work in progress throughout the opening gambit of Arsenal’s season. Establishing a new rhythm, and building new relationships on the pitch, in a not particularly forgiving atmosphere of competitive match after competitive match is challenging. Clicks do not always happen overnight and there have been frustrating moments as Welbeck, Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil – along with the supporting cast of offensively minded players – get to know one another’s games. Here, they found a fluency and cohesion that enabled them to bring the best out of each other.
The key to Arsenal’s style in the good old days of league titles and eye-catching attacks, according to Dennis Bergkamp, was about practising patterns. The combinations, the rapports, whether they were between Thierry Henry and Robert Pirès, or Bergkamp and Freddie Ljungberg, was all about working at the patterns until the players knew instinctively who would be making a certain run and how they liked to receive the ball. It became second nature. It was at the heart of everything they did.
Wenger has been tinkering with his resources this season as he looks to establish a fresh cutting edge. With some new attacking toys to play in the shape of Sánchez and Welbeck, finding the time for his new forwards to work on their patterns has been difficult. The schedule does not allow for generous practice time, and rotation has meant different groups of players have been teamed together.
The Arsenal manager has tried different variations playing both of them, sometimes with Özil in a free role behind and at others using the German out wide with Jack Wilshere undertaking No10 duties. Arsenal will surely benefit when the strategy is more settled.
In one of their better attacking displays this season at Aston Villa, it was the combination between Özil and Welbeck that shone. Here, against an unimposing Galatasaray, it was another that played a leading role.
It was particularly encouraging to see Wenger’s two forward recruits, Sánchez and Welbeck, teaming up to prise open a contest Arsenal were under pressure to win. Sparky Sánchez ignited the move, darting infield and sending a perfectly crafted assist for Welbeck to dispatch confidently.
The former Manchester United man relished the opportunity to again show some composure in front of goal and his second goal looked like the work of a player who expected to score. Capitalising on some shoddy Galatasaray defending to cruise towards goal and bend his shot past Fernando Muslera and into the far corner.
There was time before the break for another combination to slice through the opposition: Özil’s assist to Sánchez was inviting, and the Chilean struck smartly.
Against Tottenham in the north London derby on Saturday Arsenal had looked a little short of ideas, but here they flowed fluently. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s whose thrust from the right flank caused Galatasaray problems, served up Welbeck’s hat-trick with a clever pass, the striker dinking gleefully in.
Whether this is a template Wenger will stick to is debatable. Wilshere will probably come back into the side for the Chelsea game as it would seem risky to be too gung ho given the 6-0 mauling last season at Stamford Bridge.
Against Galatasaray he could get away with playing Santi Cazorla in a deep-lying midfield role. This diminutive package of twinkle-toed trickery performed with impressive positional discipline, tucking in next to Mathieu Flamini, and easing the play forward when the opportunity presented itself.
It was not a completely happy night as from a position of absolute authority a couple of problems arose. Wojciech Szczesny conceded a penalty and was sent off, and as a result Sánchez was taken off so that the replacement goalkeeper, David Ospina, could come on. The Chilean looked cross, head down, as he made his disappointed way to the sidelines.
But all in all, a night of promise and progress for Arsenal. Welbeck certainly has something to build on. He sprinted the length of the pitch in search of another showing remarkable appetite late on.
The quality of his performance meant he was serenaded by the song they once reserved for Robin van Persie in these parts.
“He scores when he wants,” they chanted. If a former Manchester United forward can emulate the efforts of a current Old Trafford striker, Wenger will surely not believe his luck.
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